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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Can Anything Do Justice to a Cover This Beautiful?

by Chautona Havig · 4 Comments

If the stunning cover of For Whom the Sun Sings doesn't grab you and hold you, the story will. A powerful story of truth and mankind's blindness to it. via @chautonahavig

A stack of packages waited for me when I woke up that morning. I opened the “boring” ones first. Laundry pods from Dropps.com, Bathroom scrubbing things from Amazon. A new journal I’d decided to make a part of my 2020 routine.

Confession. I actually already had it. But I had bought a new one from BaronFig.com (you get 10.00 credit if you order and so do I) because I didn’t want to write in the one I already had. Yes, you read that correctly. No, it makes no sense. #BecauseMe. Journal hoarders will understand, though. We’re a small, but kindred bunch.

Then came the fun ones. You know them by their golden envelopes—padded.

Books.

The first one was a novel I’d finally allowed myself to order. Two more books that I’d never heard of followed that—folks hoping I’d review them. Those are always fun days—especially when I think I’d like the book, and I did think I’d like one of those.

Then came a heavy one. As I ripped it open, the questions piled up. What was this one? I didn’t order anything else, did I?

Look, most review copies of books I request and receive aren’t hard copies, so when this one slipped out and jabbed my leg with a hard, sharp corner, I was both irked and pleased.

And then I saw the cover. Oh, my word. This cover is stunning. Especially as a hardback. I know that probably sounds weird, but it’s true. While it would be lovely in paperback, it wouldn’t have the presence that it has wrapped in its green and gold jacket.

Maybe it sounds silly—probably does, actually—but I swear my thumb caressed the cover. Excitement welled. I whispered the title. For Whom the Sun Sings.

If that wouldn’t entice someone, I don’t know what would.

Fun fact: I was just about to put a call out for suggestions for speculative fiction titles—sci-fi, dystopian, fantasy… any kind of “spec fic” for my new BecauseFiction podcast. And then last night, I pulled out this book to read #BecauseFiction, right? WOOHOO! Of course, I still need suggestions to make an episode worth the time, but I may have to do an entire one on this book alone. Whoa.

But even then as I stared at that lovely cover, my gut twisted into knots. I got nervous. Just because I’d requested and received this review copy from the top “spec fic” publisher in the Christian industry, didn’t mean anything. Or did it? One question repeated itself on a never-ending loop.

for whom the sun sings review

Note: Most links in this post are affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Can Anything Do Justice to a Cover This Beautiful?

I’d never noticed it before, but speculative fiction is very much like a mystery. One by one, the clues to the world you step into unfold—just by you turning a page. Excellent authors, like W.A. Fulkerson, make it easy. All you have to do is turn the page.

If I could only choose one thing as my favorite thing about this book it would be the way in which Fulkerson wrote those story layers. Those who enjoy uncovering a mystery—who love catching the tiny nuances and fitting them together like the puzzle the book was designed to be—they’re given that opportunity. Hints from the very first words on the first page of the first chapter lead you to knowing and understanding everything he’ll show you.

However, if you don’t care to “gumshoe” your way through the story, you don’t need to. Much like a vivid painting that tells the entire tale on one page, the author has layered a hundred sheets of almost clear vellum over it. Page by page, those sheets are removed until you reach the end and see it all clearly, without ever needing the hints along the way.

But there’s so much more.

At first, some of the clumsy phrasing bothered me. It should. Because there was a reason for it. Occasionally, some modern phrasing would jar me out of the story and trip me up. Well done, Mr. Fulkerson. Very well done.

In Andrius, we have a sympathetic character—a hero limited first by ignorance, then by knowledge, and finally by fear and cruelty. His keen insights aren’t due to inherent brilliance but due to that instinct toward self-preservation. He behaves as a boy in his position should and would!

Additionally, every single character in this book behaves as is reasonable for who they are and where they are in the time of the story. Yes, there are character arcs—rises and dips—but they follow reasonable patterns that keep them from becoming unrealistically good or evil.

One of the most brilliant things I noted in For Whom the Sun Sings was the author’s use of description. Seriously, I wonder if there’s a single word in this book that he didn’t agonize over to get just right.

Best of all…the allegory.

Call it a parable, symbolism, or an allegory. I really don’t care. There’s a story within the story that begs this world to see what the author most wants it to—we’re blind without sight. We’re blind without the One who gives us sight. We can convince ourselves otherwise, but blind is blind. We need healing, not positive affirmation.

When people teach truth that hurts, sometimes we’re too blind to see that truth, so we create a new truth for ourselves.

But that new, so-called truth doesn’t change the facts.

We’re still blind.

I’ve never read anything by W.A. Fulkerson before. When the opportunity to request a free review copy appeared in my inbox, I snapped it up because the cover looked interesting, and I don’t read enough spec fic. I’m so grateful the publisher sent this book. I’ll be buying copies for gifts.  Today.

For Whom the Sun Sings 

For Whom the Sun SingsAbout the Book

Book:  For Whom The Sun Sings

Author: W.A. Fulkerson

Genre:  Young Adult Fiction / Religious / Christian / Fantasy

Release Date: March 17, 2020

The world is blind…then one boy is born with sight.

Nestled in a mountain haven, the remaining people of the world live in a village that is ordinary but strict. A severe peace must be kept severely, as they say. It’s all that keeps them from descending into the chaos that claimed the world a hundred years ago.
Led by the Prophet Valdas and his Regents, the villagers work, play, marry, and have families. They gather in ceremony once a year to celebrate their Day of Remembrance. Life is planned, precise, and predictable until the special abilities of eleven-year-old Andrius threaten to undermine it all.

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Comments

  1. Caryl Kane says

    March 30, 2020 at 10:46 am

    Wonderful review! This one sounds like a must read!

    Reply
  2. Andrea Stoeckel says

    March 30, 2020 at 9:44 am

    WOW! I know so many people who would love this…. MYSELF at the top pf the list. I am so looking forward to reading it, and I have suggested it to our library system as well. THank you Chautona

    Reply
  3. Linda Palmer says

    March 30, 2020 at 6:29 am

    This book sounds intriguing. I feel if you, Chautona like a book it must be good.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. For Whom The Sun Sings – Review + Giveaway – Emily Yager says:
    April 8, 2020 at 9:42 am

    […] Just the Write Escape, March 30 […]

    Reply

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Episode 48: A Chat with T.E. Price
by Chautona Havig

What happens when you combine domestic violence with suspense?  A hair-raising ride you won’t want to miss.

On March 2, T.E. Price ‘s book, Take Flight, releases on eBook, and boy is this one excellent story.  Join me as I talk with Tiffany about her book, the inspiration, and all the excellence you’ll find within the can’t-put-it-down pages.

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you!

The 3 Best Things about This Domestic Abuse Suspense Novel

A new author to me, T.E. Price knocked her suspense (and almost thriller) out of the park with three excellent elements to the book.  

Aside from wonderful and realistic characterization and edge-of-your-seat storytelling, T.E. Price also digs deep into a subject Christians sometimes like to pretend isn’t a thing.  And boy does she do it well. 

So if a great story that grips you and won’t let you go isn’t the best thing, what is?  Well… I’ve got three.

First, the writing is stellar.

Let’s face it, domestic abuse victims have cyclical thought patterns and actions that can feel redundant and become boring when you see it on the page, but Tiffany managed to avoid that while still showing how real and confusing it can be both for the person going through it and for those watching from the outside.

Second, her laser focus on her subject.

Domestic abuse is a multi-layered and faceted subject that spans so many different aspects of life. It would be easy and natural, even, to try to show it all with the one person who experienced it all, but T.E. Price keeps her focus on one woman’s escape from that life and how it affects her relationship with the Lord and others. That’s it.  

Third, T.E. Price shows her heart for the Lord and His people in every word on the page.

While not preachy at all, and while often just the undercurrent of the story, there is no doubt in the reader’s mind that Price wants the reader to learn both how to overcome as the victim of domestic violence and how to aid others in the church going through it.  Additionally, that steady reminder of Who the only true support we truly have touches every aspect of Hallie McClain’s life.

There are so many other excellent elements to Take Flight, but I’d be chatting all day with Tiffany (and nearly did!) if I kept going.

Don’t forget!

T.E. Price’s book releases March 2, 2021 and on March 5, 2021  from 7-8 pm (EST) she is having a Facebook launch party with prizes and lots of information about it.  HERE is a link to that party and I hope to be there to celebrate with her!  Please join her and maybe you’ll win an eBook copy of Take Flight!

You can find more about T.E. Price (Tiffany) at her WEBSITE where you can also find her other novel, Love’s True Colors.

Title:  Take Flight Author: T.E. Price Synopsis:  

Within Take Flight, readers follow Hallie McClain as she is faced with numerous fight-or-flight decisions in her attempt to escape her abusive husband, Jonathan McClain.

Hallie has made the decision to leave him for good, but Jonathan has no intentions of complying. During their separation, Hallie grapples with trusting those closest to her, the gossip-mill of her small town, and her wavering trust in God. Living alone in a secret, secluded cabin in the woods, she is thrust into multiple circumstances where she has to balance her safety with the reality of inescapable encounters with her soon-to-be ex-husband. Jonathan soon discovers Hallie’s whereabouts, forcing her to escape to the city while awaiting the divorce, but her move isn’t the solution as her safety is still compromised.

Hallie has to learn to trust God with her safety while leaning on the church body for support. The tantalizing storyline of Take Flight weaves through one “fight-or-flight” scenario after the next, filling Hallie with angst regarding her constant need for escape. Take Flight addresses the ugliness of domestic abuse and the need for support from the church community. Furthermore, it affirms God’s trustworthiness in the midst of difficult, sometimes even life-threatening, situations.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

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You can find the Blog post HERE.

Episode 48: A Chat with T.E. Price
Episode 48: A Chat with T.E. Price
February 23, 2021
Chautona Havig
Episode 47: The Drew Farthering Mysteries
February 16, 2021
Chautona Havig
Episode 46: What Romances Do I Think Are Perfect for Valentine's Day?
February 9, 2021
Chautona Havig
Episode 45: A Gush about Things We Didn't Say
February 2, 2021
Chautona Havig
Episode 44: A Chat with Carolyn Miller
January 26, 2021
Chautona Havig
Episode 43: A Chat with Allison Pearl
January 19, 2021
Chautona Havig
Episode 42: A Chat with J'nell Ciesielski
January 13, 2021
Chautona Havig
Episode 41: A Chat with Jennifer Pierce
January 5, 2021
Chautona Havig
Episode 40: My Favorite Book of 2020
December 8, 2020
Chautona Havig
Episode 39: A Chat with L.K. Simonds
December 1, 2020
Chautona Havig
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